Despite a swirl of rumors, a rotary engine Mazda sports car is not in the work. Hopes for an RX-8 or RX-7 successor were dashed by the Mazda CEO himself.
Since the demise of the Mazda RX-8 in 2012, fans of the piston-less motor have been clamoring for a revival. Rumors came and went, with the latest round in August of 2014 promising two sports cars, a revived RX-7 and a range topping RX-9, to debut in 2017. The launch would have coincided with the 50th anniversary of Mazda’s rotary engine, which first appeared on the 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport.
However, as Automotive News reports, CEO Masamichi Kogai said there are “no plans to revive the discontinued RX sports car series.” Instead, the comparatively undersized Hiroshima-based automaker is focusing its SkyActiv engineering philosophy, which emphasizes lightness and technology for fuel economy and performance benefits.
Since Mazda’s split from Ford in 2010, Mazda has been freed from platform-sharing restrictions. It has since embarked on a revamp of its entire lineup, leading with all-new CX-5, Mazda3, and Mazda6 models that have reinvigorated the brand. An onslaught of new products like the MX-5, Mazda2 and CX-3 are nearing production as well.
Sales are up even as incentives and fleet sales are being reduced. So while Kogai believes the RX is a vital part of Mazda heritage, he cannot devote precious resources to a two-sports car lineup. Instead, discipline and focus on improving the models across the board are key to maintaining the company’s upward trajectory. The company plans to release a new generation of SkyActive 2.0 engines by 2020 that could see a 30 percent improvement in fuel efficiency thanks to homogeneous charge compression ignition technology.
“It’s a unique technology that only Mazda has, and I don’t think we should allow the flame to go out,” Kogai is quoted as saying. “If you increase the number of segments,” he added, “that will prevent us from developing truly good products.” However, Kogai maintains that the rotary engine is still being improved to keep it fresh in case the time for an RX revival comes.
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